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Does "sondern auch" function without a verb at the end of a sentence? For example:

Hanna ist nicht nur meine beste Freundin, sondern auch meine Nachbarin.

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  • Conjunctions conjoin several elements of the same category. If the conjunction follows a verb, it introduces a second verb, if it follow a noun phrase, it takes a second noun phrase etc. There is no specific connection to verbs. Commented Nov 2, 2017 at 7:58

3 Answers 3

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The sentence quoted in the question

Hanna ist nicht nur meine beste Freundin, sondern auch meine Nachbarin.

is proper German.

Also consider:

Ich habe an dem Projekt nicht nur gearbeitet, sondern es auch zum Erfolg geführt.

For this sentence, a verb is useful and conjugation is necessary.

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    In the second clause, the subject and the verb have been omitted because they are the same as in the first clause: Hanna ist nicht nur meine beste Freundin, sondern [sie ist] auch meine Nachbarin.
    – RHa
    Commented Nov 2, 2017 at 7:00
  • "Conjugation is necessary" in the second example is a bit misleading as the finite verb in the second clause has been omitted and only the infinite verb (geführt) is present.
    – RHa
    Commented Nov 2, 2017 at 7:09
  • Another example shows that the verb doesn’t need to be conjugated: „Hanna möchte nicht nur essen, sondern auch trinken.“ But, as your second example, it omits the subject and the modal verb.
    – Philipp
    Commented Nov 2, 2017 at 7:23
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Here are infinitives connected with sondern auch:

Man muss nicht nur austeilen, sondern auch einstecken können.

So no, conjugation has nothing to do with sondern auch and other conjunctions.

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"Sondern auch" means "but also."

Nicht nur...sondern auch... can connect two noun phrases (objects).

[Hanna ist] "nicht nur 1) meine beste Freundin, sondern auch 2) meine Nachbarin."

In this case, you don't need to conjugate any more verbs besides "ist".

On the other hand,

Hanna nicht nur singt sondern auch tanzt.

Two verbs are being connected, and you need to conjugate both of them.

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